In a known rolling bearing arrangement of the foregoing type disclosed in DE-AS No. 1 625 610, the inclined rolling bearing is formed as a two-sided axially grooved ball bearing, the rings of which are respectively radially and axially fixedly arranged in the bore of a rolling mill stand and on the journal of a work roll. The balls of this axially grooved ball bearing are unevenly loaded along the circumference when the axially grooved ball bearing adopts an inclined position relative to the journal in response to the torque loading in operation resulting from the unavoidable play of the two cylindrical rolling bearings. In addition, at high rotational speeds of the work roll the balls can be moved out of their raceway grooves and radially outwardly displaced as a result of the action of centrifugal forces. In accordance with this known rolling bearing arrangement, the danger exists that the balls of the axially grooved rolling bearing prematurely fail as the result of jamming and overloading.
In accordance with another prior art rolling bearing arrangement disclosed in DE-AS No. 2 247 983, a two-row inclined ball bearing for carrying axial loads in two directions is inserted between two cylindrical rolling bearings. A spacer sleeve is fit between the outer ring of the two cylindrical rolling bearings, which spacer sleeve is arranged radially outside of the outer ring of the inclined ball bearing. The manufacture and assembly of the rolling bearing arrangement is for this reason relatively expensive. Moreover, the two rows of balls of the inclined ball bearing have lines of force transmission which are radially inwardly divergent. For slightly inclined positions of the journal during operation, the balls carry a part of the torque loading of the journal of the work roll and will be radially loaded in places on the circumference. This additional radial loading of the inclined ball bearing is particularly disadvantageous when it is incorporated in a rolling bearing arrangement for the journal of a fast-running, highly loaded work roll in a rolling mill.